John Bassi > Home

Introduction

Raised in North Eastern Zimbabwe, John is inspired by a life of living and working in wilderness areas throughout Sub Saharan Africa, south of the Zambezi River.

A dedicated conservationist, John has spent countless hours surrounded by African wildlife; from early childhood through to his early twenties as a bird collector and taxidermist, and throughout his career as a specialized wildlife helicopter pilot. The artistic inspiration gained during years of game conservation and translocation projects, wildlife research, veterinary and breeding projects, exposes John on a daily basis to the shape, form and movement of African wildlife in the most intimate way.

The Art of Bronze Sculpting

Collecting genuine bronze sculptures is a rewarding investment, a three dimensional art form that will last forever. John’s sculptures are cast by various selected foundry’s using the cire perdue (lost wax) method. He works from his studio just outside Stellenbosch, in the Hottentots-Holland Mountains in the Cape, and spends half the year working in game reserves throughout South Africa.

Pilot in the Wild by John Bassi

Fuelled by a passion for wilderness and aviation, John Bassi embarked on a challenging and fascinating journey through the birth, growth and change of South Africa’s game capture industry. Translocation projects, wildlife research, and veterinary and breeding projects expose him to the shape, form and movement of African wildlife on a daily basis. John specialised in operating helicopters and has become one of the leading game capture pilots and conservationists in the country. John has stood at the forefront of the industry and has accumulated over sixteen thousand hours of flying throughout Southern Africa.